Park rangers set for pay raise in Windham

WINDHAM - The board of selectmen approved a small pay increase for the town's two seasonal park rangers during a 2013 budget workshop Thursday evening.

According to Town Manager David Sullivan, the two rangers have been with the town about five years but have yet to receive a raise.

Recreation Director Cheryl Haas said the two positions would be eligible for the same step increases as the town's lifeguards, bringing their pay scale from $9 to $11.04 an hour. Overall, the recreation department expects to pay $85,980 toward salaries next year; the raises mark a $340 increase over the current year.

"After five years, we believe the park rangers should be eligible for the same increases as the lifeguards," Sullivan told the board. "But due to their temporary nature, these guys have been overlooked."

Overall, the costs of running the town's recreation programs is expected to decrease next year, as energy savings efforts resulted in $470 worth of savings on the department's electric bill this past year, Haas said.